Steele Myself
by GCatsPjs
Summary: First RS fic... Fear, Abandonment, Fear again.  I am still myself. Takes place somewhere in Season 4, Let's see where the story takes us, shall we?
1. Typical Morning

Typical morning.

The alarm crashed through her dreams again, shattering that peaceful lull that she managed to find herself enjoying. In retaliation, she made sure to slam her fist down on its offending sound, silencing it once again.

There is a crack in the skylight glass.

Very faint, but it's there. It could be a spider web, but she was sure that it was a crack. She squinted at the faint, dark, crooked line that she could barely see, looming above her bed.

Her eyes strained, and the dull thud that was barely beneath the surface of her skull made itself known to her, causing her to close her dark eyes against the sunlight that was offending her senses. The screaming alarm sounded again, and with a roll to her side, her hand came resoundingly down on the button to turn it off.

With a stretch of her long legs, and a grunt, she pushed the warm covers from her body and embraced the coolness of her loft, and a hint of a smile rose onto her lips as she pulled herself from her mattress.

She looked up again at the skylight, stretching her arms above her head as she yawned. Her brow raised as her eyes searched the glass for the crack she had seen a moment earlier. She listened to her shoulders pop as she stretched, her muscles resisting the movement for a moment before she swung her arms and yawned again. Lifting her hand to her eye, she rubbed the sleepiness from her face with her palm, and padded quietly to the bathroom.

As Laura moved through her morning routines and rituals, something seemed off to her, and she couldn't quite place it. Moving through the loft, her eyes grazed the skylight once again to see if she could see the offending crack that had bothered her when she had awoken, but still it was invisible from the angle in which she stood. Her forehead wrinkled, her eyes narrowing in a curious glance, as she took one, then two steps back toward the bedroom platform, before she turned and walked toward the door.

With a heavy sigh, she rolled the door to the side, stepping out of the loft, and into another day of Los Angeles sun, traffic, and various other forms of mayhem.

For Laura Holt, a typical day.

* * *

><p>The morning had started slightly earlier than Remington Steele had anticipated, and when he reached the front door of the agency, he was surprised that even Mildred hadn't gotten to the office yet. He checked his watch and swiftly unlocked the door, pushing his way through the glass doors.<p>

He scowled at the early hour, though was quite happy with the bit of energy that he had been rewarded with after a good night's rest. Stepping through the office, he swung open his office door and headed directly for his desk, suitably empty of files, or anything else to distract him from his morning routine once Mildred made her appearance.

He stepped to the window, gazing outside just as he heard the door open to the office. Instead of sitting down, he decided to greet Mildred at the door, eager for his morning cup of tea and newspaper perusal. He plastered on his charming smile, his blue eyes filled with a boyish glint as he stepped full speed into the main office. "Mildred, Dear, You're right on…" His sentence was stopped as soon as he realized that it wasn't Mildred that had entered the office, and he straightened himself as he addressed the man standing just inside the door. "May I help you, sir?" Remington asked, smoothing his handkerchief, his eyebrow lifted curiously.

The other man eyed him curiously, pulling the fedora from his head, his brown hair was disheveled, and his dark eyes held the look of a weary traveler. "Mister Steele?" He said, searching the younger man's expression for a moment.

Remington immediately felt the nervous energy from the other man, his innate ability to read others with just a blink of an eye told him immediately that he needed help. Then again, he was looking for a private investigator, so of course he needed help. Remington reached his hand out for the other man's, shaking it firmly in his, he offered a kind smile. "Yes, sir, that'd be me. You're in the right place." He asked, putting a friendly hand on the other man's shoulder, he started to lead him toward his office. He thought for a moment about Laura's distaste for him latching onto a case before she had a chance to be consulted, and his lip quirked into a knowing smile. "Come on into my office, and we can discuss what I can do for you." He said, noticing Mildred stepping through the door. "Morning, Mildred." He said, offering her a quick wave.

She smiled across at him and lifted a suspicious eyebrow. "You're here awfully early, Chief." She said, noting that sheepish grin on her boss' face.

"Well, the early bird catches the worm, as they say." He said quickly. "Hold the tea and newspaper for now, Mildred… and speaking of birds, buzz me when Miss Holt gets in, will you dear?"

"Sure, Chief." She said, a hint of a laugh escaping her at his unusual energy in the early morning, she shook her head as he stepped into the office, and closed the door behind him.

* * *

><p>It wasn't but five minutes before the glass door swung open, and Laura stepped through the doors in her typical speedy and near dramatic fashion. "Morning, Mildred." She said with a smile, glancing down at the newspaper that sit on the desk before her, she rested her hands on the desk as Mildred looked up at her.<p>

"Morning, Miss Holt."

"Another morning sans our fearless leader?" She asked, holding up the newspaper in her hand. Her lopsided smile was bright and sunny, and she tapped the paper against the desk.

"He was actually here before both of us this morning." Mildred replied, nodding toward the door. "Not sure what he's up to exactly. He told me to hold the tea and paper, to buzz you when you got in."

"He has a client in there, doesn't he?"

"He was ushering him in just as I got here, Miss Holt. I was going to ask him, but he closed the door before I could even ask if the gentleman had an appointment."

"He thinks he's so sly, doesn't he?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. She moved swiftly toward his office, still holding the newspaper in her hands.

It wouldn't be the first time she had to rap his nose with it to get him to behave.

* * *

><p>Remington sat at his desk, his arms folded in front of him as he listened to the man before him speak. His tale was filled with all of the drama of a dozen Hollywood movies, and still he hadn't even gotten to the man's name. His eyes were dark and kind, Remington thought they were a bit familiar but he couldn't be completely certain. He had an odd accent, perhaps eastern United States, but not the south, more around coastal Carolinas, with a tinge of New Jersey.<p>

"So, I understand the background, sir… but what is it that you want Remington Steele Investigations to do for you?" He asked, finally able to get in a sentence. Just as he spoke the words, his buzzer rang. He lifted the phone, holding his finger in pause to the man across from him. "Yes, Mildred."

"She's here, and she's heading in your direction." She replied, hanging up her line, just as the door opened swiftly.

"I need you to help me find my daughter, Mister Steele." The man said, turning his head just as Laura stepped into the room.

Laura stopped dead in her tracks the moment she saw the matching eyes staring back at her, her breath caught in her throat. "Dad?"

"Laura?" He said, thoroughly surprised at both the interruption, and the entrance of someone he had no idea he would be seeing.

"Miss Holt?" Remington said, catching her eyes as she stared at him blankly for a moment.

"I…I…" She faltered for just a quick moment, her heart pounding in her chest as violently as she had ever felt it before. "Excuse me." She said, turning on her heel, she stormed from the office quickly.

"Laura!" Both the man and Remington shouted at the same time, though the younger man was the quicker of the two. Just as he made it to the door, he put his hand on the other man's shoulder. "Looks like we found her. Case closed." He said, a sheepish grin on his face. "Stay right there." He said, darting from the door in search of his partner, he watched the glass door of the agency swing closed, and Laura's retreating form. "Mildred, don't let that man out of here." He said, and with a snap of his wrist, he was out the door in search of Laura.

The other man stepped from the office, and Mildred's eyes narrowed. "You heard him…" She said, her voice as threatening as she could make it. "Have a seat and Mister Steele will be with you in a moment." She said.

The man nodded, and sat slowly on the waiting room bench, watching warily as Mildred eyed him suspiciously.


	2. Step One, Communication

Laura took the stairs two at a time, climbing quickly and wildly to a destination that she had no clue of. Each step she took, she could hear her name on her father's lips echoing in her mind, and it pushed her all the harder to get away from it. She ascended flight after flight, and just as she stopped to catch her breath, she heard in the depths of the stairwell, her name ringing out in a deep Irish brogue.

Her lungs were burning as her chest heaved with each breath, and she gripped the banister tightly for support. Dizziness made her fall backwards slightly, closing her eyes for a moment and leaned against the wall on the landing. She could hear his heavy footsteps ascending the stairs, his voice coming nearer with each passing moment as he complained about the climb. His tone was jocular and light, though she knew that his heart was heavy with the knowledge of her burden. It was typical Mister Steele, trying to make light of a touchy subject, despite the risks it carried for his own well being.

"Alright." He said, his breath shooting from his lungs in sharp puffs as he rounded the last landing and looked up the steps at her. Sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead, and dark hair was easily falling from its well groomed perch of only minutes earlier. "Alright, I give up…" He breathed. "You… just… just stay right there." He said, taking a step at a time now that she was in view, he lumbered up the stairs as he tried to catch his breath. He reached the top step and leaned against the wall, pulling his handkerchief from his pocket, he dabbed his forehead and took long cleansing breaths. He offered her the handkerchief and she shook her head, he tucked it back in his pocket and tried to control his breathing.

"How did you know I went upstairs?" She asked, swallowing the dryness of her throat, she looked at him with a worried expression.

"When I got to the elevators, they were on lower floors going up." He said between breaths.. "Using my astute sense of observation, I perceived that there was no way that you could have gotten onto the elevator before then, so I deduced that you must have taken the stairs."

"You guessed up?"

"That's right." He said, nodding his head dramatically. "I guessed up."

"Lucky guess, Mister Steele." She said, leaning her head on his shoulder for a moment. She leaned to her left and slowly sat on the steps beside her, and he followed suit, edging himself closer to her.

"Lucky, indeed." He replied, finally catching his breath.

"I'm sorry." She said, shaking her head, she felt a supportive hand on her shoulder, pulling her closer, resting her head on his shoulder again. "I just… when I saw him, I…"

"Panicked."

"Right." She nodded, staring ahead of her for a moment. She turned her head and faced Remington, and found him staring at the same spot on the landing, his head turned, and she could see the flicker of concern in his eyes.

"You're sure it's him?" Remington asked, the glare she gave him was classic Laura, and his eyes flashed innocence. He held his hands up in mock surrender. "I'm just saying… it could just be a coincidence. Maybe he knew your name from…a newspaper article, or…"

"I know what my father looks like, Mister Steele." She replied sharply. "What does he want?"

"That's what I found so odd." He said, running his index finger over his chin for a second. "Mm..hm… He was telling me this story about the situation he was in, about how he had gotten into some trouble with cash flow, made a loan or two with the wrong people…" Remington stopped and his forehead pinched in confusion.

"What?"

"Mm… this isn't good." He shook his head. "Mm… not good at all."

"What?" She demanded. "What isn't good. You must tell me, Mister Steele." She exclaimed, suddenly eager for his reply, he stared ahead without looking at her. It forced her to take matters into her own hand as she reached her thumb and forefinger out and squeezed his forearm.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, pulling his arm away, he rubbed it, glaring at her. "No need for violence, Laura." He said, a bit of a pout on his lips.

"What did he say, Mister Steele?" She asked, her voice lowering with his name, dropping that 'r' from his name as she frequently did when she was using her most demanding tone. "What did he say?"

"Well, he was discussing his wife. Said she'd be quite cross with him if she found out about his gambling debt."

"A wife?" Laura exclaimed, incredulous. She stood up, pacing the small space on the landing.

"And when you came barging into my office, he said that he needed me to find his daughter."

"His daughter?" She asked, the sound of her voice forceful as she stopped pacing for a moment, scrunching her face in disgust. "Me? Frances?"

"Honestly, Miss Holt… and regretfully." Remington said, cringing at his words. "I'm fairly certain that he was speaking of another daughter."

"Another daughter?" She asked, letting out a frustrated growl. "I can't believe him!" She shouted.

"Now Miss Holt…" Remington said, standing up. "Before you go blowing this all out of proportion." He said, catching the cold, deadly glare that was aimed in his direction. "Maybe… maybe there is a good explanation." He said, shrugging lightly, giving her a hopeful glance.

"A good explanation?" She asked softly, before repeating it louder and more forcefully in his face. He jumped at her anger, but immediately put his hands on her shoulders.

"Come now, Laura. We must give him the benefit of the doubt… not because he deserves it." He paused.

"Then why?" She asked, narrowing her eyes in an angry dare.

"Because otherwise, we'll just end up scaring him off. You want to know the truth, don't you? You want to know why he left, that's always been a question of yours, correct?"

She continued to glare at him, and he ran his hands up and down her arms soothingly. "Of course." She replied.

"Then let me handle it."

"Let you handle it?" She said with a humorless laugh.

"At least let me start. You can listen… inject yourself into the conversation whenever you feel comfortable enough to do so."

"Mister Steele, he already saw me."

"And we'll deal with that when we get to it, what do you say, eh?"

She scrutinized him carefully for a moment, watching the sincerity in his eyes as he waited for her response. After several moments of silence, she nodded her head. "Fine." She said, resignedly.

"Great." He grinned, leaning down to drop a kiss on her lips. "Fantastic." He took a step back and watched her look up the stairs to the next floor, and then down the flights of stairs they had climbed. "You don't mind if we take the elevator now, do you?" He asked, giving her a good natured nudge.

"That'll be fine, Mister Steele."

"Wonderful." He said, holding his hand out to usher her down to the door to the next floor. "After you, Miss Holt." He said, watching her shake her head and roll her eyes, as she started down the steps, feeling the inevitable knot in her stomach twist violently and painfully with each step.


	3. Spies Like Us

**A/N**

**Thought I'd toss in an author's note just for the heck of it... A few things you should know. 1. This isn't my first rodeo. I've been writing fanfiction for a little bit, but just recently dove into the RS world. If i get a fact or two wrong here and there, let's chock it up to creative license. 2. This fic is occurring... we'll say mid season 4. Not sure where, but here and there. It was alluded that Laura has two siblings... older and younger in one episode. We're going to go with Frances being her only sibling... well, the only sibling SHE knows about. and 3. Thank you for reading, and reviewing. I am using this story as a 'muse enhancer'... i hope you enjoy :) Love and all that... Gcatspjs (PJ)**

* * *

><p>Remington entered the office first, standing straight and taking long strides, he tapped Mildred's desk. "Time for some tea, Mildred," he said with a wink, and turned toward the man in the waiting area. He looked nervous and very apprehensive. "Alright, let's have a talk about that issue that we were discussing before I made a mad dash out of here," Remington said, ushering the other man toward his office.<p>

"But, Mr. Steele," the other man stammered, glancing toward the door as Laura walked through, he felt the taller man's hand at his back as he pushed him lightly, closing the door behind them both.

"Have a seat." Remington insisted, watching the other man glance toward the door one more time before moving to the desk. Remington then sat at his desk and clasped his hands, leaning a bit awkwardly over it. His eyebrows lifted and an expectant expression came over his face. "I apologize for the interruption… now where were we?"

"The woman that…"

"The woman that we're looking for?" Remington goaded, trying to move the conversation along. "Your daughter, right? Do you think she was kidnapped by the men you owe money to, perhaps…"

"My daughter?" The man started slightly, his eyes showed that he was lost and confused.

"You said you needed my help in finding your daughter. Please try to keep up." Remington said, his tone turning less than humored.

"Yes, yes, my daughter… " He man shook his head. "She was supposed to arrive at her school three days ago. We've had the police looking for her, but she hasn't…"

"School?" Remington asked, movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention when the door to the adjoining office opened just slightly. He looked back at the man across from him and cleared his throat. His hand went to his tie, adjusting it slightly. "School?"

"Yes. My daughter was accepted to the University of…" he paused, noticing that Remington's complete attention wasn't on him any longer.

"You don't say?" He said, noticing the door opening a bit more. "If you'll excuse me." He said quickly, moving around the desk, the other man's eyes followed him. "Just… stay right there, okay?"

"Okay." He nodded, as Remington moved around the desk and through the door to the next room.

He pulled at the door slightly, and slipped into the room, he watched Laura jump back as he closed it behind him. "What on earth are you doing?" He asked, watching her go from surprised to irritated in an unprecedented 2.1 seconds.

"What are you doing? I was listening."

"And not very covertly, I might add. If you'd like to sit in on the meeting, Laura… then by all means…"

"No." She shook her head. "No, I shouldn't, couldn't… should I?" She asked, looking a bit confused.

"I don't think that right now is the time for that confrontation, if that's what you're asking." Remington shrugged, watching her closely for her reaction.

"Then when is the time for that confrontation? As he's walking out of the office? Perhaps on his way to his car? Maybe he'll leave his address, and I can send him a postcard." She said sarcastically.

"Let me find out what he wants first… then we'll take it from there, okay?" He said, watching the stubbornness stay in her expression for a moment more.

"Okay." She nodded, reaching across to his tie, she rubbed it between her fingers for a moment and looked up at him. "Thank you." She said, giving it a slight tug, she watched the glint in his eyes as their lips touched.

The door they were standing next to suddenly opened, pulling them apart, as Mildred stepped inside. "Oh. Sorry." She said, giving a sheepish grin, though her eyes showed no apology. "Here's your tea, boss."

He sighed and reached across to touch Laura's hand. "I'll take care of it." He said, turning to Mildred, he gratefully took the mug from her hand. "Thank you, Mildred." He said, his voice rising slightly as he carefully moved through the door with the mug, closing it behind him.

With Remington in his office, Mildred looked to Laura with her brow furrowed, noting the crinkle in the younger woman's forehead. "What's going on, Miss Holt?"

She looked to Mildred as if shaken from her reverie, and paused for just a moment. "It's nothing, Mildred." She said, moving toward her desk.

"You can't fool me, Miss Holt. I can tell when you're upset. What is Mr. Steele taking care of? Why did you run out of here like that? Do you know that man?"

"I used to." She said with a wistful sigh, sending herself flopping down in her chair. "That man in there… is my father."

"Your father?" Mildred asked, a slight gasp on her breath as she looked toward Remington's office, and back to Laura. "I've never heard you mention your father before, Miss Holt."

"That's because he wasn't worth mentioning, Mildred." Laura replied. "Walks out on my mother… walks out on his family." She said, scowling angrily. "Runs off with who knows who, to who knows where." Mildred could see the ire rising in Laura with each passing second. It was like watching a tea kettle on the boil. Its slow, beckoning whistle as the steam begins to rise, unnoticed by those around it, until it gets so warm, and the pressure builds so much, that it begins its angry scream to be relieved of the pressure.

Before Mildred could say another word, Laura was on her feet, stomping angrily toward the adjoining door. Her entrance surprised both Remington and the man in the chair, as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Laura." Remington said, standing quickly at the interruption, he was clearly surprised.

"I know you were going to handle things, Mister Steele, but as a professional. I feel that it's important to face whatever cases are thrown in our direction head on, without personal distraction." She said, still not looking at their client.

"Very noble of you Miss Holt." Remington said, walking around the desk, he took her arm by the elbow and walked with her toward the door to her office. "But I do think that I have things under control." He said, lowering his voice.

"You shouldn't have to be the one controlling things… Mister Steele." She said, between gritted teeth, the moment of tenderness was gone as her frustration mounted quickly.

"Just for now, Miss Holt. Getting all of the answers." He said.

"Laura?" Their client said softly, having stood up during her confrontation with Remington, she was still avoiding eye contact. Her eyes remained on the steely blue eyes in front of her.

"Laura, that really… is you?" The man said, squeezing his hat in his hand, they trembled with what could have been cold, or fright.

Remington lifted an eyebrow, his teeth gritting slightly. She lifted her eyebrow as if their conversation was continuing in silence and let the pause drag on unreasonably longer than it should have. "Miss Holt, I'd like you to meet our new client." He said between his teeth. "Mister Randolph Meyers."

Laura's eyes narrowed and her nose scrunched up in an attempt to hide the disgust in her face. Suddenly she took a step to her side, surprising both her and Remington. "Good morning, Mr. Meyers." She said with a strong lean toward the formal.

"Laura." The man shook his head, swallowing hard as he took in the daughter he hadn't seen in well over a decade. He could see the stubbornness in her eyes, and when his eyes flickered to Remington, he felt a strong sense of pride emanating from the other man.

"What can we do for you?" She asked, as she waited for the handshake that she was fairly certain wouldn't come, so instead of waiting for it, she turned and walked toward the desk. She turned and leaned against it, waiting for the two men to join her as she gripped her bravado with every fiber of her being.

"Laura, you recognize me, don't you?" Mr. Meyers said as he turned. "That was why you walked out earlier."

"Mister Steele?" She said, looking to her partner, she remained strong. He could see that small crack in her armor though, the way she took that short breath and held his eyes. It was time for him to jump back into things again.

"Mister Meyers, this is my associate Laura Holt." He said, as if the previous several minutes had never even happened. "She'll be helping us with your case. If you would, please have a seat…and we'll discuss it together." He said, catching the grateful look in Laura's eyes, he gave her a wink, as he walked around his desk and sat down. He started to lean back, as if he was going to put his feet up on the desk, and she gave him a warning glare. "What?" he mouthed, and she sent him a grateful smile, with a patented eyeroll, before turning back to their client once again.


	4. Best Laid Plans

The conversation with Randolph Meyers went smoothly, though the man couldn't seem to keep his eyes off Laura for a moment. Laura, on the other hand, had no problem keeping her eyes on Remington, allowing him to ask the majority of questions. He kept his attention on the task before him, and noted that she seemed to be holding her own in the conversation, even if she was letting him lead the way in terms of questions.

"She is a child that I had when…" He paused. "When I was previously married." Mr. Meyers spoke softly, keeping his focus on Laura. He was obviously having problems speaking to her about this, but she held a stern stare between him and her partner, and she didn't let on for a moment that her insides were twisting into themselves. "I…" He paused for a moment as if he was going to explain further, but decided instead to press on. He didn't notice the slight crinkle in Laura's forehead when he spoke, though Remington was acutely aware of her struggle. "She was accepted to UCLA on a Mathematics scholarship."

Laura didn't miss the quick glance from Remington, brief but full of meaning as he listened to the worried father's reiteration of the last time he had spoken with his daughter. "We knew that she had gotten to the city alright, heard that she was heading toward her apartment, but we haven't heard anything since. Her roommates haven't seen her, she hasn't checked in for any of her classes. I'm afraid that something has happened to her."

"Have you spoken to the police?"

"Yes, of course." He nodded. "But they're of little or no help at all. They keep saying that she'll turn up, that she probably ran away. There is no way that Lily ran away."

"How can you be so sure?" Laura asked suddenly. "People run off for a vast number of reasons. Sometimes they have very, very good explanations for such a departure." Her voice held a bit of a snap, and Remington picked up on it immediately.

"What my associate is saying, Mr. Meyers, is that there are often things about those that we care about that we don't know about. These things often lead to erratic behavior, or undesirable decisions without any prior indication that something may be wrong. Have you heard anything from anyone about her? Ransom demand? Collect call?"

Mr. Meyers shook his head.

"She doesn't know anyone in town that she might be staying with, a friend, a family member?" Remington asked, nearly jumping when he felt Laura's heel digging into the toe of his shoe. He moved his foot away and leaned forward slightly.

There was a light knock on the door, and Mildred appeared in the doorway, peeking inside. "Sorry to interrupt you, Boss. Miss Holt, you have a phone call." She said, giving the new client a glare.

"Can you take a message, Mildred?" Laura asked, though she was already starting to stand from where she was leaning against the desk.

"I'm afraid not, Miss Holt. It's your … gynecologist. She said it is an emergency." She said, twisting her face as if she wasn't sure why she had said it.

"If you'll excuse me." Laura said, getting up quickly, she pushed her way into the reception area quickly, closing the door behind her. "Mildred? My gynecologist?"

"I couldn't think of anything else." Mildred said, handing her the phone. "It's your sister."

"Frances?" She asked, her question rhetorical.

"Unless you have another sister that I don't know about." Mildred shrugged, raising her eyebrow at the glare that Laura threw her way.

She pressed the receiver to her ear and turned from Mildred. "Frances?"

"Laura?" Frances said, her voice trembling slightly, though Laura couldn't tell if it was from fear, excitement, or simply the fact that she had caught Laura at the office when she called. "Laura, I think we might have a little issue on our hands."

"An issue?" Laura asked. "Frances, what are you talking about?" Laura asked, glancing to the door of Remington's office, she looked back down at the desk and sighed.

"There is a young woman here that claims to be our sister." Frances said in a loud whisper. "What do I do?"

"What do you mean, what do you do? Did you talk to her?"

"Yes." Frances said. "I mean… I invited her in, and then I called you. What do I do?"

Laura rubbed her hand over her forehead. "Just… stall her." Laura said with deep sigh.

"Stall her? How do I stall her? Laura, what do I…?"

"Bake her cookies, serve her coffee… I don't know, Frances. Show her slides from your trip to the Grand Canyon last year. That should keep her busy for a while." Laura said quickly. "Just stall her. I will be right over."

* * *

><p>In the office, Remington continued talking to Mr. Meyers, until after a moment the silence seemed to permeate the room. "I shouldn't have come here." He swallowed hard.<p>

Remington's eyebrow lifted slowly. "You knew that Laura worked here." It wasn't a question, but a simple statement, that received a nervous nod from the man across from him. "You knew that she worked here, and you thought that it would be a good idea to make your new life known to her?"

"I… I wanted to see her, and needed to…"

"So this daughter…?"

"No." He said clearly. "My daughter is missing, Mr. Steele." He said, sliding a picture of a girl who was the spitting image of his partner. Same brown hair, same dark eyes, and those dimples that could get him talked into just about anything. "It just… this provided me with an opportunity to see Laura again. I… needed to do this for…"

"For yourself." Remington said as he stood up, smoothing his tie, he glanced to the door just as Laura stepped opened it and caught his gaze.

"We have an appointment, Mr. Steele." She said, her brown eyes widening for a moment, he quickly caught the hint.

"Mr. Meyers, it was a pleasure to meet you. We will start right away on the case." He said, taking the other man's hand, he shook it with authority. "Just leave your contact information with Miss Krebs, and she'll give you the forms you need to fill out." He said quickly as he headed toward the door.

Randolph stood up and watched Laura walk back into the reception area, and before he could make it into the room himself, she was through the glass doors, with Remington Steele at her heels.


End file.
